Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 to 340 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae.

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the Southern magnolia or bull bay, is a magnolia native to the southeastern United States, from coastal Virginia south to central Florida, and west to East Texas. It is a medium to large tree 20 to 30 m tall with a striking appearance, both in leaf and in bloom. The leaves are evergreen, simple and broadly ovate, 12 to 20 cm long and 6 to 12 cm broad, with smooth margins. They are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. The large, showy, citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm across and fragrant, with 6 to 12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring.